


Strange Happenings

by Ilya_Boltagon



Category: Doctor Strange (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Wanda Maximoff, Clea has kept a huge secret, Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama, Gen, Magic, Past Clea Strange/Stephen Strange - Freeform, Protective Wanda Maximoff, Sanctum Sanctorum (Marvel), Stephen Strange & Wong Friendship, Stephen Strange cannot parent, Wong is a Good Bro (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29640918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilya_Boltagon/pseuds/Ilya_Boltagon
Summary: A magical battle in New Orleans leads to Wanda Maximoff rescuing a teenage girl who looks oddly familiar, even though she's never seen the girl before. A hasty consultation with Stephen Strange, and the events that follow, will change the life of the Sorcerer Supreme for good.(This was once posted on my old Fanfiction.Net account. It's been removed from there and is being rewritten.)
Relationships: Clea Strange & Sofia Strange, Clea Strange & Stephen Strange, Sofia Strange & Stephen Strange, Stephen Strange & Wong, Wanda Maximoff & Sofia Strange, Wanda Maximoff & Stephen Strange, Wong & Sofia Strange
Comments: 10
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [squipy_witch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/squipy_witch/gifts).



Wanda Maximoff peered out of the motel window, face creased in a frown. Outside, the normal hustle and bustle of New Orleans carried on as usual, no-one out there realizing that a magical battle had gone on not two hours ago, and that a life had been lost.

She shook her head slightly, recalling the events that had brought her into this situation. Having come to New Orleans to track down a powerful magical aura she'd sensed- apparently sprung from nowhere, totally out of the blue- that was somehow cloaked from her, making the source impossible to locate in the physical world, she'd stumbled onto some of Dormammu's servants, stalking what had at first appeared to be a mother and adolescent daughter- until the creatures actually attacked. Then, the woman had revealed herself to be Vesper, a Mhuruuk from the Dark Dimension, and the apparently human girl's 'aunt' and guardian. Wanda had forced down the flurry of questions that sprung to her mind about why such a being would be on Earth, instead joining in the battle to protect the young girl, who appeared to be the target of the assault.

More and more of Dormammu's minions had appeared, and eventually, the Mhuruuk woman had been injured. With a last burst of energy, she had flung the assailants away, then quickly, in a low tone, had insisted Wanda take the girl- Sofia- and flee, keeping the girl safe at all cost.

Sofia had protested, of course, not wanting to leave her 'aunt', but Vesper had chanted a spell, teleporting her and Wanda away, just as the next wave of creatures fell upon her. The last they saw, Vesper was losing the fight and had fallen to her knees. Then they were gone.

They had found themselves on the other side of the city, alone, and although Wanda's mind still whirled with questions, she kept her wits about her enough to cast a spell that would hide them from all seekers before hauling the girl to the nearest motel to regroup and plan. If the girl was in danger from Dormammu, then no chances could be taken. As for _why_ Sofia was being menaced by Dormammu's minions, she had no idea, and the teenager was in no fit state to talk.

Wanda had tried to question the nearly-hysterical girl, but it soon became clear she had no answers that she could share at the moment. And, really, why would she? Wanda was a stranger to her, after all. Eventually, Wanda had cast a calming spell and urged her to sleep. Now, watching the black-haired girl slumber, she realized with a jolt that Sofia looked extraordinarily familiar. Black hair with a white streak near the temples, well-defined features, and sharp green eyes... Wanda knew what she _thought_ this meant, but how could that be? Stephen Strange had had a long-standing relationship with Dormammu's niece Clea, but they had no children! Wanda had known Stephen for years and he had never once mentioned having a daughter...

Wanda groaned. If Vesper had survived, she could have asked her for more information, but now she had to try and decide what to do on her own. Stephen would be the best person to ask about fending off Dormammu, but if she went to him and it turned out he really _did_ know nothing of this girl... what then?

Well... she didn't exactly have many other options. But maybe she should contact Stephen through astral communication first, just to ask some questions, see if it appeared he _did_ know about Sofia... or not. And if not... Wanda nearly winced. Breaking this kind of news to Stephen, that he likely had a teenaged daughter he knew nothing about? After all the ups and downs she knew he'd had during his marriage to Clea? Well, at least she wouldn't be within range of his anger.

Another look at Sofia, to ensure the girl slept soundly, (she really did look the image of Stephen!) and another quick glance at the magical protective wards now covering the room's entrances, to ensure they would hold, and Wanda closed her eyes in concentration and willed her astral form to leave her physical one. She then cast her senses about, checking for unseen danger nearby, before 'reaching' with her mind and calling out. ' _Stephen?_ '

 _'Wanda Maximoff._ ' She 'heard' Stephen's reply immediately (as always, he didn't sound surprised or puzzled by her impromptu 'call', acting like nothing could phase him), and caught a brief glimpse of his study, before his astral form came to join hers. He greeted her politely, as always, and Wanda returned the sentiment. _Now what?_ Best to start off vaguely...

_'...Sorry to bother you like this, but ... well, I just fended off a group of Dormammu's servants smack in the middle of New Orleans. I'm just wondering if you had any idea what they might want there?'_

_'New Orleans?'_ Stephen frowned, puzzled. _'Nothing that immediately comes to mind. It is a magically rich area, but I know of nothing there that would draw Dormammu's attention. I haven't seen anything of particular note there for more than a decade.'_

That was coincidental timing, given that Sofia seemed to be about thirteen years old, Wanda mused, then prayed Stephen hadn't overheard that thought. It appeared he hadn't, she noted with relief. _'Nothing at all? Because-'_ she watched Stephen carefully for his reaction to this, _'One of the targets of the attack was a Mhuruuk named Vesper.'_

Now Stephen looked genuinely startled. _'Vesper?! But she was Clea's most loyal confidant and ally... why in blazes would she be on_ _Earth_ _?'_

That was a very good question. _'I don't know.'_

_'What has she said about it?'_

Wanda's face fell. _'I'm sorry, Stephen, but she didn't survive.'_

Stephen frowned. _'So Dormammu's creatures find Vesper, who is for some reason in New Orleans, destroy her... and simply leave?'_

 _'I don't know for certain that they've left yet. But I'm in a warded place right now.'_ Wanda took a deep breath. _'We may need to come to you.'_

The Sorcerer Supreme raised an eyebrow quizzically. _'We?'_

 _'Vesper was only one of the targets.'_ Wanda hesitated. _'She was protecting a teenaged girl who claimed Vesper was her aunt, even though I highly doubt that. The girl's safe with me now.'_ Here she stopped, for how could she simply blurt out who she thought Sofia was? Clearly Stephen had no idea.

Stephen now looked baffled. _'A teenager? I presume you mean a human child?'_

 _'Yes.'_ At least, if Wanda's suspicions were true, Sofia was part human. _'Her name is Sofia.'_

Another pause grew between them. There was absolutely no reaction from Stephen- the name meant nothing to him, Wanda was sure. That only made this more difficult to say. ' _I don't really know how to say this, so..._ ' Wanda reached out with her mind and extended the view of the room until Sofia's sleeping form could be seen.

Stephen drew in his breath sharply as he took in the sight of the girl, looking so much like him, the blood draining from his face, visible even in his astral form. He looked at Wanda, as if hoping she would say this was all a hoax.

She held his gaze, not knowing what to say. He shook his head slowly, face setting firmly.

 _'This_ _has_ _to be some sort of illusion. A trick. There's no way... Clea would never have kept something_ _this important_ _from me.'_ He sounded angry, voice full of denial, but there was pain underlying in his tone.

Wanda's heart ached for him, finding out this possible news in this fashion _.'Stephen-'_

_'It's a lie!'_

And with that shout, the projection vanished. Wanda wasn't sure if that had been intentional, or if Stephen had been so angry and confused that he'd simply lost his concentration, but either way, their talk was over. Now what should she do?

Wanda sighed heavily. If she couldn't resume contact with Stephen, and that probably wasn't the wisest idea, given the mood he was undoubtedly in after her revelation, then she'd simply have to take Sofia to New York and _make_ him deal with this.

It was understandable that he'd want to think it was a trick- better that than believe that his ex-wife had kept their own daughter a secret from him for so many years- but ignoring problems did not make them disappear.

New York it would be then. She'd let Sofia sleep a little longer, then they'd head for the train station. It would be a long journey, but trains were safer than planes- far less security checks involved.

Wanda _did_ in fact cast a spell to remove glamours, on the off chance that Stephen was right and the girl's likeness to Stephen was an illusion, but nothing about Sofia's appearance changed. She was exactly who she appeared to be. Wanda sighed softly. Now she just had to convince Stephen of that, once they got to New York. She should also try and prepare Sofia for the shock she would soon have, to try and make this meeting as painless as possible.

Wanda rested her head in her hands. She'd honestly prefer fighting an army of demons to navigating an emotional minefield like this!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, I've changed Sofia's age, as mentioned in Chapter One, from 15 down to 13. The reason for that will be explained later in the story, I needed her to be a bit younger than she was in her (brief) canon comics' appearance.
> 
> Stephen gets Sofia's name wrong in this chapter. It's not a typo on my part. He's only heard Wanda say Sofia's name and because he was in shock, it didn't sink in properly. He goes with his best (wrong) guess.

Stephen Strange remained in the Lotus position he typically used for his meditations, but his mind was far from tranquil or relaxed right now. Maximoff's 'call' hadn't unduly surprised him: statistically speaking, he was overdue for a cry for aid from one or other of the magic-users of Earth. They happened fairly frequently. However, what Wanda had actually told him had completely wrong-footed him. The mention of Vesper, Clea's most loyal ally in the Dark Dimension, being on Earth, had been startling enough. The image of the child, the girl, who was... what? Vesper's ward?.. kept floating in his mind, taunting him, and for once, he could not will his thoughts into quietude.

He wished he could believe what he'd told Wanda, that the teenager's appearance was some illusion, a trick, but in all honesty, there was little to gain from such a deception. Although the notion made him icy with fear and searing with rage at the same time, the evidence suggested that this child was his. His and Clea's. And his ex-wife had hidden the girl, in _Stephen's_ realm, and never said a word to him, never told him that this girl existed...

“Stephen?” Wong's low voice startled him, and he all but leaped to his feet, silently berating himself for becoming so distracted that he had missed Wong's knock- for the man never entered the study without knocking.

Wong eyed him, a worried frown creasing his brow. “Is everything alright, Stephen? You seem... perturbed.”

Stephen ran his hands over his face in an attempt to clear his thoughts, noting with some disquiet that both hands were trembling, something that only happened now when he was too out of sorts to will the damaged nerves to still themselves. “I...” He shook his head. How could he even begin to explain this to his long-time friend? “I just communicated with Wanda Maximoff. She's stumbled across a young sorceress in New Orleans, while fending off a demonic attack, and intends to bring the child here.”

“To the Sanctum?” Wong's eyebrows rose to his hairline. “This place is not fit for children. Surely Wanda knows that. What could be so urgent that she'd seek to bring this girl here?”

Stephen let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, that's easy, my friend. The demons that Wanda fended off were some minions of Dormammu, targeting the girl. And it seems that Vesper- I presume you recall her, Clea's aide?- has been serving as this girl's guardian.”

Wong visibly started- a rarity, for he usually prided himself on remaining unruffled outwardly, even when he was dealing with fear. “Vesper? The Mhuruuk? Taking care of a child here on Earth?” His frown deepened and he stepped towards Stephen, resting a hand on his shoulder. The look in his eyes clearly said he suspected the rest of this tale, and wordlessly he offered his friend and one-time student his support. “Did Wanda say how old this girl was?”

Stephen shook his head. “No. She showed me the girl though, astrally. I'd guess she's around 11, 12, but Wanda said she's a teenager so, 13... I don't know, I know nothing about children!” His voice rose against his will, and he took several deep breaths to center himself.

“This girl... she's Clea's?” Wong folded his arms, his face unreadable.

Sometimes Stephen _hated_ not being able to guess what Wong was thinking. Despite their years of working side by side, his friend could still hide his true feelings- usually when he didn't want his emotions to impact Stephen's own.

“Wanda didn't say that outright, but I think so. The girl...” Stephen shuddered, forcing himself to say it out loud, to accept it was real. “She looks remarkably like me.”

Sympathy flickered in Wong's eyes, but all he said was “I am sure Clea had good reasons to keep the child hidden.”

Rage erupted inside Stephen at the mention of his estranged wife. “A 'good reason' to never, in _thirteen years_ , let me know that I'm a father, to keep the girl concealed like a shameful secret?! Not to mention who knows what kind of lies the girl's head has been filled with about me!”

Wong held his hand out, palm first. “I suggest you return to your meditations, Stephen, and regain control of yourself.” He'd adopted the 'drill sergeant' voice he'd used years ago, when Stephen had been nothing but a student in the Mystic Arts. “Your anger is understandable, but you do not wish to be in this mood when Miss Maximoff and... this girl arrive.”

Stephen sighed heavily, knowing his friend was right, and struggling to calm himself. “I know.”

“I cannot imagine how you must be feeling at present, but there is no sense in taking your anger out on Wanda when she arrives. She isn't to blame for this. And I assume you _do_ wish to make a good first impression on your daughter.”

His daughter. It was the first time anyone had said it out loud, and Stephen felt hysteria bubbling up in his chest. Him, a parent? How in the name of the Vishanti had that happened? What was he supposed to do?

“I will leave you to your thoughts, Stephen, and allow you to seek peace, while I ready two rooms for our guests.” Wong gave his shoulder another comforting squeeze- the only way he ever showed physical affection- and turned to leave. He paused in the doorway. “By the way, just so I am aware: what is the girl's name?”

Stephen realized he really must be in a state of shock, because it took him a minute to even remember what Wanda had told him. “Sophie. Sophie Strange, I assume, though whether she actually goes by that name...” His surname. His daughter. He shrugged helplessly, feeling like he'd been ripped from the universe and left drifting with no indication which way was up.

Wong nodded, assimilating the information, and slipped out of the study.

Stephen buried his face in his hands and let out a long unidentifiable noise, between a groan and a scream. _Damn you, Clea. Why didn't you trust me enough to ever tell me about this?!_


	3. Chapter 3

Sofia rolled over, waking up slowly, her head aching. She'd had a horrible dream, about some monstrous... things breaking into her home, attacking her and Aunt Vesper. A woman in red had burst in, more creatures had showed up, Vesper had shoved Sofia at the strange woman and yelled something, then light had flashed... _Stupid dream_ , Sofia told herself as she cracked her eyes open.

She was in an unfamiliar room. Immediately, she sat bolt upright, glancing around warily. The woman in red was sitting in a chair by a window, her eyes half-closed like she was mediating or something. Sofia herself was lying on a single bed, covered by a blanket. She tossed it off and jumped to her feet, making sure to keep distance between herself and the woman, Vesper's old lessons about not trusting anyone but her echoing in her mind. She clenched her fists, standing as tall as she could, wishing, not for the first time, that she could use more magic than just random bursts of power whenever she got emotional.

“Sofia. You're awake.” The woman stood up slowly, the expression on her face gentle, kind. Her voice was tinged with a slight accent, one Sofia had never heard before.

“Where am I? Why did you bring me here? Where's my aunt?” A more worrying thought struck her, and she backed away further. “How do you know my name?!” A chill ran down her spine, remembering tales Vesper had always told her, of her mother's uncle, the sorcerer-warlord Dormammu, from a different dimension, who'd seek to kill her if he ever found her. Sofia had never seen any trace of a threat from him in her life, so she'd kind of assumed the danger was exaggerated, or that it wouldn't reach her. Until yesterday... _had_ it been yesterday? Or longer?

Where was Aunt Vesper? What had happened to her? Had she escaped those things too? If not... Sofia couldn't help but whimper a little, as the last clear memory of home came back: the hisses and screeches those things (demons) had made, Vesper staring at her, something burning in her eyes, as she'd all but flung Sofia at the woman in red, yelling something, then the monsters had swarmed her...

The room spun. Someone was breathing harshly, way too fast. It took a second for Sofia to realize it was her.

Red-nailed fingers rested on her shoulders, and eyes were staring into hers. It was weird, Sofia thought, vaguely, that one eye was green, the other brown: she'd never seen that before.

“...Breathe slowly, Sofia. You need to calm down, alright? Inhale... then exhale...”

The woman was taking huge, long breaths, in and out, holding Sofia's gaze. Slowly, she began to do the same, and the pain in her lungs eased, the room not spinning anymore. Once she felt steadier, she shoved the woman's hands off her and repeated her question. “How do you know my name?” Fine, it didn't look like this woman meant any harm, since she'd just helped calm her down, but Sofia wouldn't trust her just yet. Not until she knew what was going on.

“Your... aunt... told me your name, just before she made me take you away from that battle, to safety. Do you remember that?”

Sofia rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I was scared, not stupid. Where's Vesper now?”

The woman's face fell. “I'm afraid I don't know, Sofia. She may have gotten out, or been taken captive... we just don't know.”

“Then we have to go back for her!” Sofia's heart pounded. They couldn't sit here hiding while Vesper was in danger!

“I'm afraid that's not an option.” The woman folded her arms. “Vesper asked me to make sure you were safe, and that's what I plan to do.”

“But-”

The woman folded her arms. “Would she want you putting yourself in danger?”

Sofia opened her mouth, then closed it again. No. Aunt Vesper had always said that if anything happened to her, Sofia should run and not look back, get as far away as she could and then find somewhere safe, to call, astrally, to her mother for help. Sofia knew _how_ to astral-project into the Dark Dimension, of course, they did it every year on her birthday so she could talk to her mom for a few minutes, but Vesper had always been there. Sofia felt sick with fear about trying it alone.

How could this be happening? “Please let this be a bad dream,” she whispered, pinching her arm like a little kid, trying to wake up.

Nothing changed. The motel room, and the woman in red, were still there. Vesper was still gone. Sofia took a shaky breath, trying not to cry. Crying wouldn't help her aunt. She needed to be strong if she was going to find a way to rescue her. Squaring her shoulders, she stared at the woman.

“How'd you just _happen_ to show up when we were being attacked?”

“I was tracking an unusual magical aura in this area. I have to assume that Dormammu's creatures were looking for the same thing. It's just bad luck that they got to your home before I did.” The woman was staring at Sofia intently, and obviously choosing her words carefully.

 _Dormammu_. Sofia shuddered. The name had been a dread in her life for as long as she could remember, from half-remembered blurred flashes of being carried in her mom's arms, running through corridors, being handed to Vesper, that name being mentioned, her mom crying. Later, he'd been in stories told by Vesper. Her great-uncle Dormammu had been the 'monster under the bed', the demon Sofia always had to watch out for. But how much did this woman really know? About Sofia, about her mom... fine, she was clearly a witch, but did that mean she could be trusted to know about the Dark Dimension, about her mom's position there?

Not that Sofia knew a lot about that herself: sometimes her mom ruled the place, as far as she knew, and sometimes Dormammu did, and Mom worked to organize rebellions against him- that much, she knew from snooping through Aunt Vesper's old papers and things. The name 'Umar' had also been mentioned a few times, but Sofia wasn't clear on who or what that was.

The woman's dual-colored eyes narrowed. “You've heard the name Dormammu before?”

“...Maybe. You know who he is?”

They stared each other down, neither speaking for a few minutes.

“I... know some things,” the woman admitted. “And I've battled him in the past. I'm just not sure how much to tell you at your age.”

Sofia's anger flared. “I'm not a kid!”

The lightbulb above them flickered, then brightened to several times its previous wattage, right before it exploded. Powdered glass rained down, and Sofia winced. “Sorry. That... happens sometimes lately. My magic's gotten... unpredictable.”

The woman waved her hand, as if dismissing Sofia's words. That gesture also made the mess on the carpet vanish, and inexplicably, the light was now working again.

Sofia gaped at the light, then at the woman. “Did you do that?” What sort of spell did something like that? No chanting, no ingredients, no preparation, just... poof, done.

The woman's lips twitched. “I did. My type of magic is... different to most. My name's Wanda, by the way. Wanda Maximoff.” She arched a brow, as if waiting for Sofia to answer.

“I'm Sofia, but you know that. My last name... it's weird.” Sofia shifted self-consciously. “Aunt Vesper always made me use the last name 'Strange'. I figured it was her idea of a joke, cos I was a strange kid, seeing ghosts and all.”

“That... isn't exactly it, Sofia. I don't know if you know this or not, but Vesper wasn- er, isn't your aunt by blood.”

“Duh, I know that. She was my nanny when I was like two years old, before my mom had to send me to Ear- er, away, to keep me safe.”

A series of emotions flickered over Wanda's face, too fast for Sofia to make sense of. “Do you hear from your mom?”

“Once a year, on my birthday. And,” oh, what the heck, she'd already said a lot, “I'm supposed to contact her if anything ever happens to Vesper. I figured she'd come get me. If I can find the supplies I need and work the astral projection spell on my own, that is.”

Wanda was frowning now, her arms folded. “Sofia... have you ever been told anything about your father?”

Sofia blinked. “No... he never came up, and I just... never thought about it.” It hadn't mattered, had it? She'd had Vesper, she had her mom (sort of.) “What's he got to do with any of this?”

Wanda let out a heavy sigh. “A lot, I'm afraid. There's so much you haven't been told...”

“So... tell me.”

“It isn't my place to do that, and we really shouldn't stay here any longer. Those creatures may still be in the area. We need to move somewhere safe.”

“Such as...? I don't exactly have a list of safe houses, you know?” A lump rose in Sofia's throat. “Vesper, and the idea for contacting my mom, was all I had.”

Wanda slipped an arm around her shoulders. “It'll be OK. But I'm afraid we will have to leave New Orleans.”

Leave? But... “What if Vesper escapes and comes back and we're not here?”

“The person we're going to will keep an eye out for her, I promise.” Wanda turned away slightly, lowering her voice. “He'll definitely have some questions to ask.”

Sofia huffed. “Fine. Where are we going?”

“To New York- Greenwich Village. An... acquaintance of mine lives there. No-one on Earth knows more about fending off Dormammu than he does.”

“If that's true, why didn't Aunt Vesper take me to him instead of hiding me here?” Sofia was really confused- and a bit wary about going all the way to New York to meet some stranger who might not even want to help her once he learned she wasn't human.

“That is a very good question,” Wanda remarked in that same low tone- she looked a little angry about something, though Sofia had no idea what.

When Wanda went and opened the door, and she realized that they were leaving right now, she dug her heels in a bit.

“What if I don't wanna go all the way to Greenwich Village just to meet some weird old sorcerer?”

“He's Earth's Sorcerer Supreme,” Wanda paused as if watching for Sofia's reaction, but she only blinked, never having heard that term before. “And I promise you, he's the best suited to protect you. Besides,” she managed a small smile, although her eyes were troubled, “wouldn't you love to visit New York, just so you can say you've been?”

“...Fine.” Sofia grudgingly let Wanda lead her from the motel, and they moved quickly, heading for the nearest train station, not talking to or making eye contact with anyone, Wanda keeping a firm grip on her wrist until they were sitting in the train compartment, pulling out of the station. Only then did the older woman appear to relax.

Sofia pulled her knees up to her chin, staring out of the window as her home- and her old life- disappeared behind her. Aunt Vesper had obviously trusted Wanda- she'd told her to keep Sofia safe, after all- so any ally of hers should be trustworthy... right?

A single tear rolled down Sofia's face as she wished with all her heart that she wasn't making a huge mistake, leaving like this. _Please let this 'Sorcerer Supreme' person have a way to save Aunt Vesper too_.

She'd never forgive herself if she'd run away from this, and her aunt died because of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1: Wanda's eyes being two different colors (heterochromatic) is my idea. Since in the comics her eyes shift between brown, green and blue, I just gave her one green, one brown.
> 
> 2\. Sofia knowing some, but not all, of the history between Clea and Dormammu is also something I made up: I think her knowing *some* of the danger she might face is more realistic for her situation, and it means she's more likely to be careful and stay safe.


End file.
